Fabricated Lenses
by Phantom-Fly
Summary: [Alternate Universe] Cameras were banned, and firewall blocked nearly everything on the internet. Few people still secretly owned cameras, and Kuroko Tetsuya was one of them. He would take pictures, and fight in his own way against the Government, will a group of hackers and their leader be able to help Kuroko find true freedom? And maybe...love? AkaKuro, rated T for safety.
1. Chapter 1: Ways of Perception

** Disclaimer: I do not own Kuroko no Basket in anyway, all rights belong to the original author.**

Complete Summary:

[Alternative Universe]

The use of cameras were banned; firewall blocked nearly all the contents on the internet; any type of social media was prohibited. All because the President was bullied on the web as a kid. People rarely came out of their houses because of mass construction to build the Heart, a place where there is only technology for the President . Few people still owned computers, and even fewer had cameras. Kuroko Tetsuya was amongst one of them, by day, he would be an employee at a bookstore, by night, he would take photos of the city, and secretly stash them away, for that was what he loved to do. However, at the other end of the town, resided a hacker group who called themselves: "Generation of Miracles". They sought to bring down the government and start an era where technology is free for everyone to use and see. By chance, their leader and Kuroko met, and both lives were changed forever.

**Ways of Perception**

A satisfied smile graced the young man's lips as his finger clicked on the shutter. He admired the city lights through the distorted lenses, and he pressed down once more, shaking slightly as he did so.

The night brought out the city's brilliance; its multicolored glow along with the glittering stars above, completed the masterpiece that Kuroko has always longed for in his dreams. Just as a shadow would bring out the light, the obsidian sky brought out the moon's serene warmth, showering over the luminous city.

Kuroko smiled again as he held his camera in his hands to view the pictures. He paused slightly on each one, debating on whether or not they were worthy to keep. For they were rare and only the best may be kept. He quickly deleted the majority of them, and left for the printing room with his camera, where he would make the photos more than just an image from a device.

/

A few hours had passed, and soon it was morning again, the sun shone brightly; completely erasing the grace of the city last night, and instead covering it with a dazzling radiance.

Kuroko woke up with a horrible bed head, his hair no longer the smooth, silky teal locks they were a night ago. He reluctantly sat up, and slowly pushed off his warm covers. Kuroko shivered, surprised by the sudden coldness of his room.

"I need to turn on the heaters..." He muttered to himself as his feet touched the cold, wooden floor.

The teen managed to drag himself to his kitchen counter, and almost fell asleep again on the marble surface, his eyes threatening to close every second. Kuroko yawned, and made his way over to the refrigerator, only to find his empty stock of vanilla shake. His mood worsened.

"Ugh…"

/

Kuroko stepped out of his apartment building with his face full of boredom, as if he didn't look bored enough already. He walked around the electrical fence and the warning signs; his eyes lingered on each of them, silently reading the screaming words printed in bold black letters:

**Make the Internet Safe!**

**YOU DON'T NEED MEDIA**

**Join the Government today!**

He turned away, and headed towards his workplace. Kuroko flashed a look of pain at that one sign before he broke into a run.

**No Cameras Allowed.  
**

/

Kuroko's footsteps slowed down as he panted and puffed; his face a light shade of red. His stamina hasn't always been the best, but his lack of exercise is also to blame.

The teal-haired teen stopped before a small store roughly the size of a townhouse, its wooden doors were run-down, and its white walls were splashed with graffiti in various noisy colors. However, large shelves of books and magazines could be seen through the glass windows, their beautiful borders and neat order seemed to be the only peaceful thing that this store has to offer. A small neon sign hung just above the door, it read:

"Kiyoshi's Bookstore"

Kuroko, however, paid this no attention as he has seen it almost everyday, and instead pushed open the wooden door. The teen immediately walked over to the check-out, and looked around for the owner of the store.

"Is Kuroko-kun not here today?"

"Ah, is he sick?"

"But he never slacks off from work..."

Upon hearing his name, Kuroko made his way over to where the voices were coming from,

"...I am here."

The three men all flinched in surprise at his sudden outburst, and the largest of the three turned around slowly, flashing a nervous smile,

"Why hello there, Kuroko-kun...how are you?" he asked,

Kuroko simply nodded, "I'm fine, what about you, Kiyoshi-san?"

"I just got a heart attack from you, but aside from that, I'm doing good." Kiyoshi replied, as he put his hand over his heart dramatically.

Kuroko nodded again, and heard Hyuga, a fellow worker, muttering to himself:

"One of these days...Kuroko will be the death of me."

Just as he was checking over the books on the second shelf, Kuroko heard the violent sound of glass shattering, and felt a sharp stab of pain on his left cheek. He reached up and saw a splash of crimson on his finger. Shocked and unaware of his situation, Kuroko froze, unable to process what had just happened.

Yells of dangers echoed around him, it was Kiyoshi's voice, calling for him to…

To…

…

..

.

"**GET AWAY FROM THERE, KUROKO!"**

He snapped into reality, but it was too late.

Kuroko watched as a figure lunged into the store through the broken window, with sirens of red and blue screaming behind it.

His sapphire eyes could only capture how fiercely the figure's hair seemed to resemble crimson fire burning in the hearth.

~To be continued...

/

**Thank you for reading that, duckies. I'm Phantomfly, the author of this (poorly-written) fanfic, I hope to continue this story until at least twenty chapters.**

**Makes one feel accomplished, you know?**

******And yes, I drew the cover photo. **

**I hope you enjoyed this very first chappy of mine, please tell me what you think of it. :)**

**Until next time, my duckies~**


	2. Chapter 2: Differences in Attraction

**Differences in Attraction**

* * *

If you were to describe Kuroko Tetsuya as water, the soothing colorless element that runs calmly, but erupts into a destructive tsunami when angered; then Akashi Seijuro would be fire, the scorching vermillion flames that burn the earth, yet bringing warmth at the same time. The two are different; they each view the other in different ways of perspective. Yet that's their nature, that's just who they are. In order to coexist, one must lie to the other that they are one and the same.

* * *

Akashi has never seen such clear, truthful eyes in his entire life.

Even if he was being chased by the police force on his very tail, he couldn't help but fall under the spell of those unclouded azure orbs. Akashi felt his confidence falter, was his life-long image of the absolute ruler going to be ruined just like this?

"Ah...excuse me..." The boy spoke, his voice just as beautiful as his eyes.

Akashi froze.

They were certainly in an awkward position; Akashi laid on top on him, covering nearly the boy's entire body; sharp pieces of glass stabbed onto the floor which they fell upon, forging the ground into something resembling a battlefield.

Akashi gulped and climbed to his feet, "Stand up," he told the boy firmly, trying to force down his temptation to grab the other and ask about his health.

He glanced outside the shattered window, the sound of the sirens trailing further and further away. It was clear that they had lost track of him, at for least today. Akashi breathed a sigh of relief.

"Kuroko! Are you alright?!"

"...Yes, Kiyoshi-san,"

Akashi's red eyes flickered over to where the boy, now standing, was.

_Ah,_ he thought, _So his name is Kuroko._

/

"Who the heck are you?" asked a young man with glasses, who fawned over Kuroko like he was his mother.

Akashi's red eyes flickered towards blue-haired teen, his thoughts battling against each other in a fierce battle for domination.

"...My name is Aoi." he said softly after a few seconds, not meeting Kuroko's eyes.

The man with the glasses furrowed his brow, "Why did you come crashing into our store? With police behind you?...Are you a criminal?!" he exclaimed, his face red.

_I can just lie about it. _Akashi thought,

"I-I was being chased," he said, trying to sound pitiful, "They took away my house and belongings, and when I went back to get them, they tried to arrest me,"

"Ah, is that so?" asked the man whose name is supposedly Kiyoshi, he tilted his head.

"Yes,"

Out of the corner of his eye, Akashi could see Kuroko's unwavering gaze, fixed on him like he was a patient who has only little time to live.

_Why's he looking at me like that? Such insolence. _The redhead thought, however, he didn't let it show on his face.

"I see," Kiyoshi said kindly, taking Kuroko by the arm, "Well, I'm going to get this little guy cleaned up, but I expect you to pay us back for the window."

Akashi coughed, and resumed his act, "H-How am I going to do that? I don't have any money."

"Ah, that's right…" Kiyoshi muttered.

Silence fell.

"How about," The man with the glasses said, interrupting the quietness, "Aoi-kun can work for us, and pay us back by using the money he earned."

"Hm, sounds about fair, and I reckon he has nowhere to go either."

_Ha?!_

_This isn't what I planned. _

_This is not going to work._

_I can't stay here._

_I can't focus, with...__**him**__ here…_

_I can't contact the others regularly. _

_**I'm not myself when I'm with him...**_

"...Ah, Kiyoshi-san," Kuroko spoke, interrupting Akashi's train of thought.

"Yes?"

"Aoi-kun can stay at my place…" the blue-haired teen suggested softly, "...If it's okay with him, that is."

Akashi didn't know how to reply.

No one has ever volunteered to do something for him without him commanding them; no one has invited him to their homes unless it was necessary and they knew each other well.

But this boy...he was offering his home to a complete stranger who caused him harm, why would he…?

Akashi was just going to refuse.

However, he knew he couldn't resist those eyes, that gaze, the boy's kindness...Akashi felt like Kuroko was special, that he _needed_ someone like Kuroko in his life. Someone willing to do anything for another, someone willing to sacrifice themselves, someone so kind that they'll embrace anything twisted or dark.

The exact opposite of Akashi himself.

He figured that in order to get Kuroko to trust him, the best way was to lie and become a different person, a person whom Kuroko felt safe with.

And thus, his lips moved on its own, spilling out the words that his mind forbade him so strongly from doing:

"I would love to, Kuroko-kun. Thank you."

_~To be continued..._

* * *

**MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA**

**HAHAHAHA**

**HAHAHA**

**HAHA**

**HA.**

**I bet you didn't see that coming, because I didn't, either.**

**So today I was so stuck on this chapter when it was only fricking 200 words long, I was SO stuck, that I stared at a basketball for inspiration.**

**It didn't help.**

**Eventually, I went: "Screw this, I'm just gonna type."**

**So I did, ma fingers went: "click-click-click...etc."**

**And DADADADADADAAAANNNNGGG!**

**I present to you the new chappy~**

**I honestly have no idea where I'm going with this, just gonna go YOLO.**

**Did I just say YOLO?**

**I'M SUCH A DISGRAAAAAAAACE!**

**PS: Akashi's eyes are still red.**

**Until next time, my duckies~**


	3. Chapter 3: Similarities in Affection

**Similarities in Affection**

* * *

Affection is a peculiar thing; if done correctly, relationships will improve and love might blossom. However, if you give too much or too little, it will be misunderstood, and thus creating conflict. Differences in affection can sometimes balance things out, but similarities will only cause confusion.

* * *

Kuroko glanced towards Aoi one last time before they entered his apartment, the latter furrowed his eyebrows and looked quite worried.

"Well, here we are, Aoi-san," he spoke softly, brushing back his hair in nervousness.

"Ah," Aoi suddenly blinked, as if he was snapping out of a trance, "I see, thank you again, Kuroko-kun."

The teal-haired youth shook his head, "It's no problem..."

Kuroko wasn't sure what to call the other boy anymore. He had addressed him as "kun" earlier in the store, but looking back, Kuroko thought it was incredibly rude of him, and thus he switched to calling Aoi "san".

But it wasn't really the honorifics that Kuroko was worried about.

Maybe it was his imagination, but he thought he saw a flicker of panic in those deep pools of crimson; he thought he saw doubt and worry.

_I must be going mental,_ he whispered in his mind, _that's no way to judge a person._

However, this thought kept on nagging him in the back of his mind, and Kuroko was very tempted to smack himself to clear his mind.

"Oh, please come in," Kuroko said, holding out the door as politely as possible, "and make yourself at home."

The redhead's lip curled slightly upwards, "Don't mind if I do," he replied as he took off his torn sneakers. Kuroko watched as Aoi stepped into his apartment with caution in his steps, and Kuroko's brows furrowed just a little.

However, the teal-haired boy was glad to have company nonetheless. It's been quite a long time since he's had someone else in his home, and Kuroko hoped that maybe, just _maybe_, Aoi-san will understand him. Kuroko didn't want to be the only one who wanted to fight back anymore.

He didn't want to take a stand _alone_.

"Kuroko-kun, are you not coming in?" asked Aoi, who looked like he was just planning to sit down on the couch.

"I-I am," Kuroko stuttered, and quickly closed the door behind him.

* * *

Kuroko had to admit; it was _awkward_.

Normally he wouldn't be so bothered over something like this, because people normally don't notice him, and thus they can avoid awkward situations.

But Aoi _noticed_, in fact, Kuroko could swear that the only thing Aoi has been looking at ever since he came in this apartment was the teal-haired boy himself. Kuroko could _feel _the intense line of vision that was focused on him, and it gave him the _creeps_, to be honest.

"Say, Kuroko-kun," said Aoi, finally breaking the crushing silence.

"Yes?"

"I really mean no offense, but why did you take me in?"

"...I guess, it was like a natural instinct."

Aoi's laugh rang clear and beautiful throughout the apartment, "Do you think you could explain a bit deeper about that 'natural instinct' of yours?"

Kuroko managed to look away, "Well, it's hard to explain, but I just sometimes gets this urge…"

"...To take strangers home?" Aoi interrupted with a smirk,

"I'm really not that type of person," Kuroko responded with a poker-face, "and I never will be."

Aoi laughed again, and it annoyed Kuroko that he was drawn to that voice, "Well, you just did,"

"That's a bit different,"

"Oh? How so?"

"I wouldn't really call someone who almost crushed me a 'stranger'."

"Huh,"

Kuroko silently swore at himself for being so stupid, because of his awkward statement, the silence was called back once again; and Aoi, for the first time since arriving, averted his eyes to somewhere else.

Seeing that he couldn't fix the situation, Kuroko stood up to get some vanilla shakes from the fridge, only when he stood about halfway up did he remember, that he didn't have any left.

He could only bring his palm to his face gently and sigh:

_This is horrible_.

* * *

For the seventh time in a row today, Kuroko stared at Aoi's scarlet hair, and wondered how anyone could possibly have a hair color so bright, so warm and so…

_Alluring._

And for the seventh time again, he managed to tear his sight away from the redhead, and instead focus on his plans for tonight.

If all went well; there would be countless stars in the sky this night, and Kuroko knew he couldn't give up this precious chance to take some photos. But how…

He looked at Aoi again, who was staring intently at a book he had just found on the teal-haired boy's shelf.

_**How was he supposed to do it with this guy around?**_

* * *

Turns out that Kuroko didn't really have time to think about his plan clearly, because he was too preoccupied with the current problem.

_Who sleeps where?_

Kuroko had told Aoi that he wanted to sleep on the couch in the living room because he liked it better. But that was just because he could go out to the balcony and get his camera easier. However, Aoi insisted that Kuroko must sleep on the bed, because he is the owner. But then Kuroko argued back.

This continued for about half an hour before Kuroko decided to stop this silly fight.

"Just pick one for yourself," he said, "you can have either the bed, or the _bed._"

Aoi forced a laugh, "That's not giving me much of a choice, Kuroko-kun,"

The latter simply crossed his arms.

"Ah, I guess...we'll both sleep on the bed then," Aoi sighed, scratching the back of his neck.

"Ha?"

* * *

As night fell, Kuroko felt nervous. He hated it when people paid full attention to him, he didn't want to be noticed.

Yet, that is exactly what Aoi is doing.

As he cautiously slipped into the very edge of the bed, Kuroko could almost feel Aoi's warmth radiating from the other side, he didn't really know how to feel about that. The teal-haired boy reached under his bed to check for his camera, but was stopped by Aoi's hand before he could even touch it.

Kuroko almost screamed.

"I-Is there something wrong, Aoi-san?" he asked nervously, his palms sweaty.

He heard a short snicker behind him, "Nope, nothing. Just curious to why you were looking for Bogeyman."

"I was not," Kuroko said in an attempt to sound dominant, "besides, you shouldn't be questioning what I do,"

There was a short silence, but Kuroko didn't dare turning around.

_Did I go too far? _He asked himself silently, _oh no, I must have sounded really aggressive, I-_

"I felt like I should get to know you better," Aoi interrupted his thoughts, making Kuroko flinch a little, "you took me in and all, so I wanted to do my share of the job,"

Kuroko slowly turned and faced the ceiling, his mind telling him not to look at Aoi just yet, "...and that involves asking about Bogeyman?"

"...Yes, yes it does."

Kuroko let a small smile grace his lips; despite the awkwardness, he felt very content when Aoi was here. He could still feel Aoi's heat from all the way across the bed, and this time, his mind didn't really object.

Aoi was a burning flame, someone who was dangerous but warm. Kuroko knew that the first time he had saw the boy jump through the window; with his red hair and crimson eyes, Aoi looked like an untamable beast. But somehow, Kuroko felt like Aoi was hiding something, something he couldn't quite put his finger on.

Because the moment he spoke in the store, his scorching blaze suddenly died down to a small flicker of light.

* * *

Kuroko slowly, but surely, climbed out of the bed in dead silence. Usually Kuroko was quite confident in things like these, with his lack of presence and all. But Aoi noticed him too much, to the point where it was almost overwhelming.

As he grabbed his camera and headed for the living room, Kuroko couldn't help but glance back at the figure sleeping on the bed. With the white bed covers and pillows, his flaming red hair was the only thing that Kuroko laid his eyes on, those red locks shone brightly, even in the dark.

_No,_ Kuroko corrected himself,_ they shine even __**brighter**__ in the dark, like real flames._

But all that was forgotten as he made his way to balcony.

As he stood there, with the caressing wind and his beloved camera in his hands, Kuroko once again truly felt alive. Through these lenses he would be able to see the world clearer, and see it in a way he had never considered before. He could make these moments immortal, he could make them last forever.

All that it took was for his finger to click on the shutter.

But before Kuroko could do that, he heard the balcony door behind him creak, and he froze.

He was scared, and frightened, he had never been more scared in his life before. Kuroko couldn't even breathe, for taking photos could earn you a lifetime in prison. His line of vision narrowed, and he quickly snapped out of his trance to grab the railing as to steady himself.

Then came Aoi's familiar voice:

"Kuroko...what are you doing?"

* * *

**THAT TITLE AND INTRODUCTION WAS DEEP BRO.**

**So deep, that I don't even know what I was talking about anymore.**

**On my **_**opposite **_**hand,**_** someone**_** obviously needs to take lessons on how to be a ninja. But then again, I suppose they don't know what a ninja looks like since media was banned and all.**

**DISGRACEFUL.**

**I also want to clear something up, whenever it's Kuroko-centric, out favorite redheaded captain will be written as "Aoi", at least for now, anyway. (WAO FORESHADOWING MUCH.)**

**I don't know if you guys noticed, but earlier I just described Kuroko face-palming in a very graceful manner, HIGH FIVES TO MESELF. **

**Yes, well, this was probably the longest chapter I have ever written. WOW. **

**And yes, I know I haven't updated for like, a month. And I'm going to follow the tradition of my fellow authors and say a very shitty excuse:**

"**I was being hunted by butterflies."**

**Those things are as scary as fuck, man.**

**And they like, took my computer.**

**So that made them scarier than fuck.**

**YAY.**

**Hope you enjoyed this chappy, please leave a suggestion to...well, anything.**

**Heck, you can even suggest me to go drink gasoline.**

**But I will refuse, (like Kuroko) in a **_**graceful**_** manner, 'cuz I'm a primadonna girl~**

**Until next time, me fellow duckies! **


End file.
